Pre-Release Thoughts: 5 Reasons You Should Preorder Nevernight

I want to start a new blog series focusing on pre-release hype and what I think of the book in question. This is because I sometimes get the opportunity to read ARCs months before publication date and I have to wait entirely too long to talk about them, and forget stuff along the way. I will always post full reviews closer to the date, just think of these posts as a taster.

The first in this series will look at Nevernight!

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff will be released August 9th (US) and August 11th (UK/Aus)

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book from Harper Voyager Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way contributed the intensity of my fangirling.

Hype Met? EFF YES!

I finished this book earlier on in the month and enjoyed it so much, I thought I’d write a short post urging you all to i) read it immediately if you have access to the ARC and ii) go and preorder it, because you’re worth it. I buddy-read this book with the wonderful Aila, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. I’ll write a full review closer to the date of release.

1. The covers are AMAZING and would deserve to be on your shelf.

The cover designers for these books are geniuses who knows how to entice bookworms with eye-candy. Whether it’s the US version with the kick-ass typography and illustration, or the UK/Aus cover with the stunning artwork by Kerby Rosanes (of Animorphia fame!), these are books you could and should proudly display – face OUT – on your bookshelf.

2. It has footnotes!

Ever since I started reading Discworld as a wee girl, I have always been obsessed with irreverant and hilarious footnotes. Nevernight has these in abundance and I found them all highly amusing. Whether they’re adding another layer to the worldbuilding or just there to remind you how funny the narrator is – they added immensely to the reading experience.

3. The blurb is NOT a lie.

The book claims to be Harry Potter meets Locke Lamora. Usually I regard these claims with a high dose of cynicism and skepticism, but I was delighted to find that the book largely met and even exceeded these ridiculously high expectations.

The dark plot and humour reminded me of Locke Lamora, and the school setting of Harry Potter (if Harry Potter ‘was smuttier and stabbier’ – from the author’s own mouth). It’s a beast of its own, though, with unique worldbuilding and characters. There are three suns, and the world is almost always flooded in light! There’s assassins and blood magic and shadowshapers! There’s a cat that’s not a cat, and a hilariously bad-tempered horse nicknamed Bastard! There’s grit and myths and danger, and a whole heap of fun to top it all off!

4. It’s Jay Kristoff’s strongest book yet.

There are books that I enjoy and then forget about. And then there are books I read and henceforth eagerly await whatever else the author will publish, whether it’s from the same series or a completely different world. This book falls into the latter category (obviously, or I wouldn’t be writing this post). Jay Kristoff manages to play around with a variety of writing styles, and pulled them all off with poise. It’s engaging, it’s rich, it’s witty, and it’s utterly memorable.

5. You can brag that you were one of the first to read Nevernight when it becomes a bestseller.

Because make no mistake, it will be. It’s one of those fantasy that would appeal to both young adult and adult readers – not just because the book dares to involve blood and guts and sex – but because it’s a good book and all good books have universal appeal. Plus Jay Kristoff already has Illuminae and The Lotus Wars under his belt to trailblaze the way for Nevernight. Yay for hipster cred!

And here I thought I could not be more excited for this book. I WAS WRONG! I need this book more than I need air. I LOVE Jay Kristoff. I am broke, though, so I can’t pre-order. *sob* But I WILL read this as soon as I get my hands on a copy.

I was already planning on buying this book when it becomes available but… NOW YOU’VE MADE ME REALLY EXCITED FOR THE RELEASE. AHHH. The book covers for both editions really are very pretty, and I just can’t seem to stop staring at both. *O* I didn’t know Nevernight had footnotes, so that’s good to know! It’s been a long time since I read another book with footnotes in it (I think the last one was John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines?) so I’m really looking forward to reading another book with it in it!

Well look at you messing with my plans! I wasn’t going to read this one until a few more books were out in the series, but you are making it terribly hard. -_-
I loooove the Australian cover so much! All the pretty!
I’m especially interested in this one because of the dark plot, in all honesty. I’ve been craving so much more from fantasy lately and I have a feeling this will be perfect for me. I’ll add this to my list of books to order then. You win!

I would be so excited to read a smuttier and stabbier Harry Potter haha Now I’m really tempted to pre-order that US version because I love the cover and it comes with signage! Which now that I’ve moved to Kindle is 90% of the reason I buy physical books. Thanks for the run-down on this!

I was already convinced to read it, but your fangirling makes it even harder to wait now. *screams* It’s true that both covers are amazing, I just want to pet them. I think I like the US cover slightly more though. Your Instagram pictures also made me want to have it. Moreover, as Jay Kristoff is the co-writer of Illuminae, Nevernight has to be fabulous! Aaaaaah, I can’t wait for this book! 😀

This is such a great idea for a post, and I’m excited to see which book you pick next! You’ve definitely convinced me to pre-order a copy of Nevernight though. I was a little on the fence about this one, despite loving Illuminae which Kristoff wrote with Amie Kaufman, but when I’m next on my laptop I’m going straight to Amazon and ordering this 😀

I don’t know about anyone else, but you’ve successfully convinced me to go preorder a copy. It was the footnotes point which convinced me. I liked the UK cover (I prefer it to the US one anyway), but then footnotes in any book makes me happy. I can’t help myself! I need a copy now because it sounds awesome.

I already planned on pre-ordering Nevernight and this pre-release thoughts has only solidified my plan. “smuttier and stabbier” are two things I will always gravitate towards and I also love the idea of the world being flooded in light, despite the fact I’m a night owl haha. I read the excerpt that was released with the cover reveal and I was hooked from the get-go. Basically I need this book ASAP. The only problem is choosing which edition to go for because both book covers are so badass.

I mean, I was already convinced because it’s Jay Kristoff, but you have totally MORE-CONVINCED ME. (Sssh, that’s totally grammatically correct, okay.) The gorgeous cover art is just the cherry on top. It’s gonna be good, I trust you!

Okay you have 100% convinced me to read my ARC copy sooner than planned! A smuttier and stabbier HP is all I’ve ever wanted from a YA fantasy series, hahaha! Sounds perf.

Footnotes! I LOVE snarky footnotes! Have you ever read The Bartimaeous Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud? It’s about wizard apprentices in London, and a young boy whose unparalleled ambition and need for revenge leads him to enslave one of the world’s oldest djinn. It’s actually kind of a dark series but the footnotes are all from the djinn’s perspective and they are HILARIOUS.

I’m so excited to read this book, I’ll probably read it closer to release date but ahhh I love Jay Kristoff and it sounds like he really pulled it off with Nevernight! I love the sound of the fantasy world and the banter and how dark and brutal it is! Thanks for the awesome post Aentee!

YES I am excited to read this soon! And I definitely will be preordering a copy as well (as soon as I figure out my address). Also, you had me at “cat that’s not a cat”. I love cats that aren’t cats, but I also love just cats too. AND FOOTNOTES. THOSE ARE GREAT.

GAH you’re killing me T.T
Jay Kristoff is one of my favorite authors, and his Lotus Wars trilogy is my favorite series ever. I would sell my firstborn for this freaking book! I still have a little bit of a fear that it won’t live up to my expectations (because it’s Jay, and my expectations are pretty darn high), but this post gives me hope that it will be just as epic as I expect it to be!